Pre-stressed clay tile partition panels



Feb. 19, 1957 R. 5. TAYLOR PRE-STRESSED CLAY TILE PARTITION PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, 1951 M @QW ATTORNEYS.

l-II

Feb. 19, 1957 R. B. TAYLOR PRE-STRESSED CLAY TILE PARTITION PANELS Filed June 29, 1951 470 are is 2 SheetsSheet 2 I g 7'" a *3 I" I J w L w .Hw

32 3/32 \73 28/ i 22 2a 23 66 )2 T:-

' 6'6 .32 3.? v2 &\ .IIH" A mil /1 w l,- 40 2a 14 26 2a .5 .4

Z M r36 r36 (27 28 (a; 32/ f 32 \az 3/ 1 5.9 a 54 1 59 W 6 22 (-50 3? r32 .30

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent PRE-STRESSED CLAY TILE PARTITION PANELS Robert B. Taylor, St. Charles, 11]., assignor to Structural Clay Products Research Foundation, Chicago, Ill., a trade association Application June 29, 1951, Serial No. 234,225 2 Claims. (Cl. 72-16) This invention relates to pre-stressed clay tile partition panels and more particularly to panels comprising a plurality of clay tile units placed in vertical alignment and under stress to be used in quickly and economically constructing partitions, walls and the like.

The structural clay products industry has within the past years lost a considerable portion of the construction market it formerly enjoyed. It has lost almost the entire interior partition wall market to substitute products whose individual units are generally cheaper in cost and can be placed into walls relatively faster and cheaper. This invention enables structural clay products to be again used, on a competitive basis, with the substitute products now being used.

This invention not only will enable the structural clay products industry to competewith the substitute products for interior walls but this invention is also applicable and can be used for exterior walls, floors, beams, etc.

In the structure contemplated by this invention all of the characteristics of structural clay products such as strength, durability, hardness, etc. are retained and supplemented by employing the known principles of prestressing. These characteristics of structural clay products are retained and supplemented by other elements, explained more fully hereinafter, and give a new and different result in construction to that previously obtained with structural clay products.

To that'end this invention consists primarily in taking individual tile units and placing them so that their ends are in vertical alignment to form a panel. A fast setting cement is interposed between each of the ends to eliminate grinding of the ends of the tiles and to provide spacing means between the tile units to account for any size difference among the tile units to insure a uniform length of the completed panels. tile units are aligned the tiles are banded together by an exterior strapping which gives the panel the beneficial characteristics inherent in pre-stressing.

The pre-stressed panels can then be placed into position, side by side, to form partitions, walls, etc. This invention also provides means for securing the panels to supporting floor and ceiling members. The panel has also been constructed to facilitate the insertion of electric boxes, conduits, piping, etc. with a minimum of work and without destroying or weakening the panel. After the panels are in proper position they can be plastered, or the like, if this be desired.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a unitary structural panel comprising individual tile units placed under stress.

Another object of this invention is to provide a prestressed structural panel which can be easily and cheaply constructed at the plant where the tile units are made.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pre-stressed structural panel which can be used in constructing walls, partitions, roofs, floors, etc.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a When the desired number of in the pre-stressed structural I the drawings.

2,781,657 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 pre-stressed structural panel which will permit walls, partitions, roofs, etc. to be constructed in a shorter period of time, more efiiciently and at a cheaper cost to the buyer than is now possible by present day methods of construction in clay products.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a pre-stressed structural panel which is constructed to permit quick and easy installation of wall sockets, conduits, piping, etc.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages, which can be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view partially in section showing the pre-stressed panels assembled to form a finished wall;

Figure 2 is a perspective elevational pre-stressed panel;

Figure 3 is a top plan veiw of one form of unit of the pre-stressed panel;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing a cross-section of a tile unit of the pre-stressed panel when assembled in a completed wall; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one form of a gusset which can be used with the pre-stressed structural panel.

Referring to the drawings, the unitary pre-stressed panel is generally indicated as P. The panel comprises a plurality of clay tile units 10 placed endwise, one on top of the other, so that they are in substantially true alignment.

One of the preferred forms of the tile unit 10 used panel P is shown in Figures 1 and 3 and comprises side walls 12 and 13, face sections 14 and 15, a top wall 16 and a bottom wall 18. Substantially equal-spaced partitions 20 and 21 extend throughout the length of the tile unit 10. The ends 22 and 23 of the tile units can be cored throughout their length by holes, or the like,-to lighten the weight of the unit or they can be uncored and solid as shown in the drawings.

The exterior walls 26 and 27 of the face sections 14 and 15 respectively have grooves 28 intermediate the end walls 22 and 23 and the partitions 20 and 21. The interior walls 30 and 31 of the face sections 14 and 15 respectively have grooves 32 adjacent the walls 22 and 23 and on either side of the ribs 20 and 21. The grooves 28 and 32 permit the desired portion of the face sections 14 and 15 to be easily knocked out to permit and to facilitate the insertion of wiring, conduits, piping, etc. as will be explained hereinafter. It is to be understood, however, that this invention is not limited to this form of tile unit but many different forms may be used while still incorporating'the spirit and scope of this invention.

A rapid setting cement insert 34 is interposed between the outer portions of the top walls 16 and the bottom walls 18 of the tile units 10 to prevent direct bearing surfaces between the tile units. This prevents the tile units from being chipped or pulverized by grinding when they are placed under stress and provides spacing means between the tile units to account for any size differences among the tile units to insure a uniform length of the completed panels. The tile units 10 are placed under stress by externally banding the tile units 10 with steel bands 36, wire, or the like. It has been found that the greatest strength of the panel P is attained when a band 36 is placed at each end of the tile units 10 as shown in view showing one the top It is also possible to place the bands 36 around the side walls 12 and 13 of the units 19 to attain the necessary stress. This would be especially desirable when the panels P and their composite units 10 are left exposed and un' covered.

A steel band, or the like, is oftentimes placed around a tile 10 near the center of the panel P to give additional strength and to facilitate handling when the panel is initially manufactured.

When the tile units 10 are thus bonded together by the bands 36 a panel is formed which has the known physical attributes of pre-stressed units. Because the panel P is pre-stressed it can be used in a load bearing wall as well as in a non-load bearing wall. Thus a wall, partition, etc. constructed out of these pre-stressed panels P has all of the physical characteristics found in clay products, such as strength, durability, etc., as would be found in a wall constructed by the present day method of laying tiles individually in a wall.

The panel P may also be used as flooring, roofing or, if it is desired, to provide spars which are longer than a single unitary panel, steel reinforcing rods can be inserted into one or more of the panel cavities and filled with concrete, as is well known in the art. Of course, this can also be done if greater strength is needed in the panels.

intermediate the top wall 16 of the upper tile unit 10 and the encasing band 36, pairs of oppositely disposed gusset type metal plates 46 and 41 are held in place when the band 36 bears against the tile unit 10. These gussets 4d and 41 are used to secure the panels P, as by nails, to a beam 4-2 or any other form of supporting member. Pairs of oppositely disposed gusset type metal plates 40 and 41 are also interposed and held between the bottom wall 18 of the lower tile unit 10 and the encasing band 36,

which secures the lower portion of the panel P to the flooring 46 or any other type of supporting member. The gusset 40 comprising a fiat plate like member 48 which bears against the face sections 14 and 15 of the tile unit 1% and an attached flange 50 of the gusset 40 bears on the top wall 16 of the upper tile and the bottom wall 18 of the bottom tile unit. A tab 52 extends up and out from the flange 5t} and has a hole 54 to receive a nail 44, or the like, to secure the gusset and the attached panel to the beam 42 or the flooring 46. The tab 52, however, is generally turned down in the same plane as the plate member 48, for convenience while the panel P is being transported. Of course, other types of securing means may be used to accomplish the above described results of this invention without departing therefrom.

This panel P has also been constructed to permit easy installation of piping, conduits, wiring, electric boxes, etc. in any desired part of the panel. By merely knocking or hitting the desired tile unit 10 of the panel P, as by a hammer, along one of the grooves 28 the tile unit breaks at the grooves 32 and lays open one of the cavity sections of the tile panel. If more than one of the cavity sections is required then the rib 20 or 21 can also be knocked away and another portion of the panel knocked out as described. Tests have proved that even though the center portions of the tile units 10 are continuously knocked out from the bottom tile unit to the top tile unit, it will not materially reduce the necessary strength of the panel to carry out its intended purpose.

Figures 1 and 4 illustrate how an electric box 54 is inserted into the bottom tile unit 10 of the panel P. The groove 28 is struckwith a hammer where the box 54 is desired to be placed and the tile unit It) breaks at the grooves 32, thus allowing access of the electric box 54 to the cavity of the tile unit 10. In this illustration to facilitate inserting the wire of the electric box 54, the portion of the panel below the box 54 is also knocked away. The box 54 is then inserted and held into place by any desired form of spring clip 56. The knocked out portion of the panel below the box 54 is then covered by any stiff material such as pliable cardboard 58, Wire mesh, etc.

which is subsequently covered when the panel is plastered. The lugs 59 on the partitions 20 and 21 can also be pro vided to form edge supports for the cardboard 58, wire mesh, etc. This procedure can be followed wherever an electric box, piping, etc. is placed into the panel P.

A method of constructing a wall from the re-stressed panel The panels P are generally received at the construction site ready to be placed into a Wall. The panel P can be carried to the desired location at the construction by one or two men who place the bottom tile unit 10 of the panel P on the selected flooring 46 and in alignment with the ceiling beam 42. The tabs 52 of the gussets 40 are then turned out, as may be necessary, and the panel is then secured to the flooring 416 and the beam 42 by nails 44 through the opening 54 of the tab 52. The next panel is then taken and placed alongside the secured panel and the described process is repeated.

After placing in the desired electric boxes 54 and filling in the knocked out portions of the units It with pliable cardboard 53 or wire mesh, the wall is generally covered, as with plaster 60. Theplaster serves many purposes in a wall comprised of these panels P. It secures the electric boxes 54 in the tile units 10 by bonding the exposed surfaces of the spring clips 56. It covers the pliable cardboard 58 or wire mesh which covers the knocked out portions of the tile units 10. It covers the unfilled portions in the horizontal joints 62 between the tile units 10. It covers the vertical joints 54 between panels 1. If the vertical joints 64 are too wide, wire mesh 66 may be used to cover the vertical joints 64 by slipping the wire mesh 66 under the bands 36 or by attaching the mesh to the panels by other expedients (see Figure 1). However, the serrations 66 of the side walls 12 and 13 help prevent the plaster from penetrating too deeply (see Figure 4) and the wire mesh 66 is seldom needed. The serrations 16 can also be used to act as receiving edges for cardboard 58, wire mesh, etc. when the width between the panels is substantial.

It is obvious that these pro-stressed panels make it possible to construct walls, partitions, roofs, etc. much faster than is possible by present day construction methods used for structural clay products. At the same time the panel preserves the desired characteristics which are available in clay products. its benefits to the industry, therefore, require no further explanation.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention it will, of course, be understood that it is not limited thereto and that by the appended claims it is intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A prestressed unitary structural tile panel comprising, in combination, a plurality of tile units set end to end, each such unit having parallel end walls, parallel side walls terminating at the end walis, transverse partitions dividing the inner portion of the tile unit into rectangular longitudinal compartments, pairs of opposed lugs on said partitions presenting opposed parallel faces at the mid-section of the longitudinal compartments, the lugs serving to divide each longitudinal compartment into two semi-compartments, the distance between the opposed lugs being iess than the width of an electrical outlet box intended for use in the wall, knock-out grooves at least adjacent the intersections of the side walls and the trans verse partitions whereby selected sections of the side walls may be removed where desired, each of the tile units being separated by spaced cementitious inserts positioned between adjacent units and adjacent the corners thereof, said spaced inserts defining a substantial opening therebetween, gusset plates positioned adjacent the corners at the ends of the tile panel, each such gusset plate having an extending nailing lug, a plurality of tensioned bands wrapped longitudinally around the tile panel and overlying the gusset plates, thereby prestressing the tile units in their end to end assembled relation.

2. A wall construction comprising a plurality of aligned prestressed unitary tile panels, each panel including a plurality of tile units set end to end, each such unit having parallel end walls, parallel side walls terminating at the end walls, transverse partitions dividing the inner portion of the tile unit into rectangular longitudinal compartments, pairs of opposed lugs on said partitions presenting opposed parallel faces at the mid-section of the longitudinal compartments, the lugs serving to divide each longi tudinal compartment into two semi-compartments, the distance between the opposed lugs being less than the width of an electrical outlet box intended for use in the wall, knock-out grooves at least adjacent the intersections of the side Walls and the transverse partitions whereby selected sections of the side walls may be removed Where desired, serrations along the outer side of the end walls, each of the tile units being separated by spaced cementitious inserts positioned between adjacent units and adjacent the corners thereof, said spaced inserts defining a substantial opening therebetween, gusset plates positioned adjacent the corners at the ends of the tile panels, each such gusset plate having an extending nailing lug, a plurality of tensioned bands wrapped longitudinally around each tile panel and overlying the gusset plates, thereby prestressing the tile units in their end to end assembled relation, said panels being positioned in edge to edge relation, a header plate positioned on the upper edges of and extending over a plurality of panels,

' and securing the gusset plates to a base at the lower end of the panels, and a cementitious facing on the exposed walls of the panels, the facing being locked to the tile panels by keying with the panel serrations and the openings between the cementitious inserts within each panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 312,375 Orr Feb. 17, 1885 620,594 Ketchum Mar. 7, 1899 989,677 Wiederholdt Apr. 18, 1911 1,395,176 Close Oct. 25, 1921 1,573,029 Beardall Feb. 16, 1926 1,583,921 Garber May 11, 1926 1,836,408 Sulton Dec. 15, 1931 1,920,919 Venzie Aug. 1, 1933 2,075,633 Anderegg Mar. 30, 1937 2,184,137 Brewer Dec. 19, 1939 2,611,330 Kirk Sept. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 656,797 France May 13, 1929 677,901 France Dec. 19, 1929 521,060 Germany Mar. 16, 1931 151,896 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1932 416,798 Italy Dec. 16, 1946 454,944 Italy Feb. 8, 1950 

